The Irish standard., 1887-08-13
REV. CRAS. j. SECHERS, DID.
Archbishop Of Vancouvers Island and
Alaska The Circumstances
Attending His Death.
FRANK FULLER's BRUTAL CRIME

Raising His Head, the Sight Of
Rifle Barrel Met the Arch
bishops Gazer'
Last week a reference to this terrible
crime appeared in TIE IRISH STAND
ARD The following additional par
ticulars are taken from the San Fran
cisco Monitor:
Readers OF the Monitor will remem
Der reading in these columns last year
an account of the departure of Most
Rev. Charles J. Seghers, ID, Arch
bishop of Vancouver's Island and
Alaska for the far North, in order to
place missionary priests among the In
dian Tribes of that remote section Of the
world. On that occasion he was accom-
panied by two Jesuits-Eathers Tosi
and Robaut---and man servant named
Fuller-the cruel slayer of thesanctifed
Apostle OF Alaska.
The steamer Dora, Of the Alaska
4
Commercial Company, arrived in this
city On Monday last bringing the hor-
rible tidings of the brutal murder of the
holy Prelate who was III the midst Of
his Apostolic labors in establishing
missions along the banks Of the Yukon,
in the interior Of Alaska.
Among the passengers by the Dora.
was Rev. Paschal Tosi, S. j., who was
one Of the two Jesuit Fathers who ac-
cornpanied Archbishop Seghers on
what proved to be his last visit to that
section Of his pastoral charge, and from
Father Tosi the Monitor has received
the following account Of the fearful
crime which will horrify every Catholic
In company with Archbishop Segh-
ers, Fathers Tosi and Robaut, both
members of the Society of Jesus, and ap
American named Frank Fuller. who
agreed to act as guide and workman,
left Victoria on July l2,. 1885, for
Alaska ON the steamer 4Ancon. They.
arrived in safety at Chilkat, the point
of their debarkation.
The purpose OF the journey was to es~
Jablish missions for ChristianiZing The
Indians. On July 19 they travelled
over the divide as far as Stewards S river.
| There the party remained with the
Alaska Commercial Compary's traders,
Mayo and Harper, until September 7.
The Archbishop left the two Jesuit
Fathers at the Stewards river station to
establish a mission for the Stickeen In
dians. He decided to go as far as Muk-
lakayet, a village near the mouth of the
Tannanah river. Accordingly the
Archbishop left Stewart's river Sep
tember s, in company with Frank
Fuller-his subsequent murderer-sey-
eral Indians being met with who accom-
panied them as guides. Muklakayet
was reached On October q, and the
party were lodged at the trading post:
receiving a hearty welcome from the
whites and Indians, TO whom the Arch
bishop was well known. Part of this
journey was made in boat and partly
by sled and dog teams. After few
weeks work among the natives the
Archbishop decided to push ON to Nu-
lato. 200 miles down the Yukon
river. Father Tosj being in q different
section of the country knew nothing OF
the further movements of the Arch
bishop and his party until he was horri-
fed by receiving news Of the inhunan
crime at the hands of a trusted servant
From information furnished to Fa-
ther Tosi by q half-breed boy whom ne
considers perfectly trustworthy and
who speaks English fuentlY, the Father
learned the following account Of the
cruel deed and the causes which are
supposed to have inspired the assassin
in his hellish work. After several days
journey with the sleds, the party ar
rived at a deserted village thirty miles
from Nrlato. the Archbishop desired
to push onward to more suitable place
for mission, and consulted with his
Indian guides upon the subject. This
course of procedure did not seem to suit
Fuller, who grew sullen and in an angry
tone told the Archbishop that she
ought to ask his advice, and not that of
the Indians" The Archbishop mildly
replied that the Indians were to be de-
pended upon and Lad experience as
guides, and that he wished to go on:
This resolution caused Fuller to grum-
BILE, and he began to endeavor to make
the natives discontented with the Arch
bishop. The Indians told the Arch
bishop of Fuller's conduct, but he paid
no attention to their complaints and
decided to carry out his plan of going
forward in the morning. After supper
the party arranged their bedding for
the night, the Archbishop sleeping be-
tween Fuller and the half-breed guide.
Early next morning Sunday, Novem-
Der 328-about the break OF day, which
would probably be between and Z
O'clock, the boy states that he saw
F'n11nr ret IN from where hp xpas alopr